Emergency data band

ABSTRACT

An emergency data band includes a flexible strap on which is provided compartment means having an opaque cover whereby information recorded on an information card within the compartment is normally unexposed. Various systems are disclosed for moving the opaque cover or information card to expose the information card when desired. An emergency data symbol may be provided on the strap adjacent the compartment means signifying that emergency information is recorded within the compartment means.

United States Patent [191 McManus 1 EMERGENCY DATA BAND [75] Inventor:Richard J. McManus, Denver, C010.

[73] Assignee: Hi-Tor Inventions, Corporation, San

Antonio, Tex.

221 Filed: Sept. 5, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 286,447

[451 Feb. 11, 1975 2,545,262 3/1951 Coleman 40/10 R 3,372,500 3/1968Claude 40/21 C 3,769,726 11/1973 Spence 40/21 C FORElGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,044,255 6/1953 France 40/21 C 315,971 10/1956 Switzerland40/21 C Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerWenceslao.1. Contreras [57] ABSTRACT An emergency data band includes a flexiblestrap on which is provided compartment means having an opaque coverwhereby information recorded on an information card within thecompartment is normally unexposed. Various systems are disclosed formoving the opaque cover or information card to expose the informationcard when desired. An emergency data symbol may be provided on the strapadjacent the compartment means signifying that emergency information isrecorded within the compartment means.

1 Claim, 13 Drawing Figures EMERGENCY DATA BAND The present inventionrelates generally to bands or straps normally intended to be worn by aperson and which includes means on which information may be recorded.

Currently, bracelets or necklaces having metallic information plates areused by individuals to record emergency medical or other personalinformation which the individual would like to make available toattending personnel in the event the individual is accidentally renderedunconscious whereby he cannot orally inform the attendant of theemergency information. Typical examples of such devices are theso-called medic-alert bracelets or necklaces on which medicalinformation, such as for example, diseases, blood type, drug allergies,etc., relating to the individuals health are recorded. While thesebracelets and necklaces have enjoyed considerable success as a means ofinforming attending personnel about an individuals health, they are notattractive in appearance, and are somewhat of a nuisance to theindividual users inasmuch as they are accessories which most people donot normally wear and therefore must be worn in addition to accessoriesor jewelry normally worn.

The band structure of the present invention is designed so that it maysatisfy normal utilitarian functions presently satisfied by other typesof accessories or articles of dress and includes means for retainingrecorded information, such as of the emergency medical type, in such amanner that the appearance of the accessory is not substantiallyaltered. Another highly desirable feature of the invention is that sincethe information is carried on an accessory which is normally worn bymost individuals, the use of additional bracelet or necklace accessoriesfor carrying the emergency information are not necessary wherebyindividuals needing to have emergency information carried on theirperson at all times are not burdened with accessories in addition tothose which are normally worn.

The invention finds a primary use as a watchband and includes acompartment in which an information card is releasably retained. Thecompartment is provided with an opaque cover so that normally theinformation recorded on the information card is unexposed but can beexposed by relative movement of the card or the opaque cover. In theembodiments described in detail hereinafter, various means are providedfor exposing the information card so that information on the card canselectively be made accessible and so that the compartment is notdistractive to the appearance of the watchband. As a means of signifyingthat important information is stored on the watchband, a symbolic emblemmay be placed on the band adjacent the compartment whereby it will beapparent to attending personnel or other individuals that emergencyinformation is recorded on the band.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bandstructure on which important information may be recorded withoutsubstantially effecting the appearance of the band.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bandstructure suitable for accomplishing traditional utilitarian functionsas an article of dress and including means for retaining important datain a manner such that the data is unexposed in a simple manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a watchbandstructure including compartment means for releasable retention of aninformation card and having an opaque cover which prevents viewing ofthe information card but which is selectively movable to expose thecard.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anemergency data watchband including a compartment in which an informationcard may be releasably retained and having an opaque cover to keep theinformation card out of view except when the information card is slidfrom beneath the opaque cover into a visible position.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention willbecome more apparent as the description proceeds taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bandstructure of the present invention being used as a watchband;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 with the informationcompartment on the band open;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken through the bandshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a second embodiment of the bandstructure of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the band structureof FIG. 4 with the information compartment on the band open;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a third embodiment of the bandstructure of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan similar to FIG. 6 with the informationcompartment on the band open;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged section with parts broken away taken along line9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a fourth embodiment of the bandstructure of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan similar to FIG. 10 with the informationcompartment on the band open;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged section taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged section taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 11.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the band structureof the present invention is shown in the form of a watchband 10connected to a conventional watch 12. The watchband 10 is seen to becomprised of two band segments or straps l4 and 16 of flexible material,such as leather, which are pivotally attached at one end to oppositesides of the watch 12 and include buckle-type fastening means 18 on theopposite ends so that the straps can be united to form an enclosed loopfor encircling the wrist of the user. The band segment or strap 14 isseen to include a rectangular compartment 20, FIGS. 2 and 3, in which aninformation card 22 for recording various types of information can bereleasably retained. The strap 14 is preferrably recessed so that thecompartment 20 can be inset into the strap whereby an opaque cover 24for the compartment is flush with the strap surface when closed as shownin FIG. 1. The compartment 20 has a pair of opposed inwardly extendinglips 26 along its longitudinal sides so that the information card 22 isreleasably retained within the compartment beneath the lips.

The cover 24 for the compartment 20 is composed of an opaque material,preferably a light metal or plastic, so that the information card 22 isnormally unexposed beneath the cover. However, the cover 24 is pivotallyconnected to one side of the compartment 20 for movement between openand closed positions. The pivotal connection is made by a pair oflongitudinally spaced coil springs 28 which are secured to the side ofthe compartment so as to allow the cover to be pivoted between closedand open positions while biasing the cover into the closed position.

Accordingly, when it is desired to observe the information card, theopaque cover is manually pivoted into its open position, FIG. 2, aboutthe coil springs and then automatically returns to its closed position,FIG. 1, when released.

The information card 22 may take the form ofa cardboard or paper stripon which desired information can be printed or typed so that after thedesired information is recorded on the card, it can be snapped intoposition beneath the lips 26 wherein it will be reliably retained untiladditional information is desired to be recorded on the card. Theinformation card could also take the form of a metal plate on which thedesired information is engraved or otherwise imprinted in a morepermanent manner.

A primary use of the band is for recording emergency data such asmedical information relating to diseases, allergies, drug type, etc. ofthe individual wearing the band. The band could also be used, of course,for recording personal information such as the name, address, telephonenumber etc. of the user. In the case where the band is used to recordemergency information, a distinctive symbol could be affixed to the bandadjacent the opaque cover 24 to indicate that emergency information isrecorded within the compartment. In this manner, the appearance of theband is not unduly affected by the included information but rather asubtle symbol designating that the information is recorded on the bandis the only obviously visible evidence that the watchband is anydifferent from conventional watchbands. The band thereby retains asubstantially conventional look in that the opaque cover 24 preferablyblends with the remainder of the band, yet the emergency information isavailable simply by lifting the opaque cover to expose the informationrecorded within the compartment.

The advantages obtained by use of a band structure 10 as hereindescribed are numerous. An individual who is allergic to a particulardrug, e.g., penicillin, can record this information on the informationcard and in the event he is accidently rendered unconscious, he can beconfident that an attendant examining his person would see the emergencydata symbol and would thereby know to look within the adjacentcompartment for emergency information. In this manner, the individualcould possibly avoid having the attendant inject a drug to which he isallergic thereby possibly causing him harm. Another particularlydesirable feature of the band structure of the present invention is thatthe emergency information is carried on a band which serves otherutilitarian purposes as an article of dress, such as in the examplepreviously described, for support of a watch 12 on the wrist of a user.Accordingly, it is felt that the band structure serves an especiallyuseful function in providing its user with a utility band thatadditionally carries emergency or other information in such a way thatit does not substantially alter the aesthetic appearance of the band.

An alternative embodiment of the band structure of the present inventionis shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein a circular compartment 30 is embeddedin the strap portion 32 of a watchband 34 having an opaque cover 36which is connected by a hinge 38 to one edge of the compartment 30 so asto be alternately movable between open'and closed positions. Of course,in this arrangement an information card 40 takes the form of a circulardisc which is retained within the compartment 30 by a circular lip 42extending radially inwardly from the circular side wall of thecompartment.

Another embodiment of the band structure of the present invention isshown in FIGS. 6 through 9 having a rectangular shaped compartment 44affixed to the surface ofthe strap portion 46 of the watchband 48 andhaving an information card 50 retained within the compartment bylongitudinally extending lip members 52 in the same manner as describedin connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. In thisembodiment, however, the opaque cover for the compartment takes the formof a rectangular slide plate 54 retained between overhanginglongitudinal edges 56 of the compartment 44 and the longitudinal lipmembers. The slide plate 54 is free to slide between the longitudinaledges 56 and the lip members 52 whereby fingertip pressure appliedagainst a handle portion 58 at one end of the slide plate will effectmovement of the slide plate between an open position wherein theinformation card 50 is visible within the compartment and a closedposition wherein the information card is unexposed.

A still further embodiment of the band structure of the presentinvention is seen in FIGS. 10 through 13. In this embodiment, acompartment 60 is fixed to the top of a strap 62 and comprises anintegral three sided open-ended rectangular shaped compartment having anintegral opaque top cover 64 defining an enclosed space 66 in which aninformation card 68 is free to slide. The compartment 60 is secured tothe strap 62 by any suitable means along the flared bottom edges of thethree sides 70 which rest against the surface of the strap. The opaquecover 64 has a depending stop 72 at the open end of the compartment thatextends laterally across the width of the compartment and leaves a spacebetween it and the top surface of the strap 63 which is substantiallyequal to the width of the information card 68. The information card hasan upturned handle 74 at one end so that fingertip pressure appliedagainst the handle enables the user to easily slide the card along theupper surface of the strap between exposed and unexposed positions bymovement out of and into the compartment through the open end. The endof the information card opposite the handle has an upstanding laterallyextending stop 76 which is adapted to abut against the depending stop 72on the cover when the information card is slid outwardly from thecompartment into its totally exposed position. Due to the structuralarrangement of the information card 68, it is preferable in thisembodiment that the card be made of a thin metal or plastic rather thanpaper or cardboard.

Depending upon the type of information recorded on the information card,the emergency data symbols, such as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 through7, could be affixed to the strap adjacent the compartment thereon,

to designate that information of an important medical nature is recordedwithin the compartment. It is contemplated that various adaptations ofthe present invention are feasible whereby for example, two informationcompartments could be placed on a watchband, one on each of the strapportions, so that one compartment could be used to store information ofa medical nature and the other compartment could be used to storepersonal information such as relating to the individuals address,telephone number, etc. Also, the component parts of the band structurecould be made waterproof to protect the information card from damagingmoisture by making the surfaces along the opening edges in the variousembodiments of a rubberized material to effect a watertight seal at alltimes.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degreeof particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade by way of example and that changes in details of structure may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A watchband structure comprising in combination a flexible strapadapted to be secured to a watch to form an enclosed loop for encirclingthe wrist ofa user,

said strap having a longitudinal compartment extending longitudinally ofsaid strap, said compartment including overhanging longitudinal edgesalong opposite sides, an information card disposed within saidcompartment having emergency information recorded thereon, longitudinallip members extending along opposite sides of said compartment forreleasably retaining the information card in the compartment, an opaquecover for the compartment defined by generally rectangular slide platemeans retained between said longitudinal edges and said longitudinal lipmembers for slidable movement in a lengthwise direction along saidflexible strap between an open and a closed position such thatinformation recorded on the information card is exposed when the coveris open but is unexposed when the cover is closed, and fingerengaginghandle means disposed at one end of said slide plate means to effectmovement of said slide plate in a lengthwise direction along saidflexible strap between said open and closed positions.

1. A watchband structure comprising in combination a flexible strapadapted to be secured to a watch to form an enclosed loop for encirclingthe wrist of a usEr, said strap having a longitudinal compartmentextending longitudinally of said strap, said compartment includingoverhanging longitudinal edges along opposite sides, an information carddisposed within said compartment having emergency information recordedthereon, longitudinal lip members extending along opposite sides of saidcompartment for releasably retaining the information card in thecompartment, an opaque cover for the compartment defined by generallyrectangular slide plate means retained between said longitudinal edgesand said longitudinal lip members for slidable movement in a lengthwisedirection along said flexible strap between an open and a closedposition such that information recorded on the information card isexposed when the cover is open but is unexposed when the cover isclosed, and fingerengaging handle means disposed at one end of saidslide plate means to effect movement of said slide plate in a lengthwisedirection along said flexible strap between said open and closedpositions.